


Into the Unknown

by Widowfics



Series: Varian and Whumptober 2020 [14]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: A little whump, Hurt Varian (Disney), New Dream, Rapunzel's POV, Which is surprising, Whumptober 2020, again kinda, but not really, don't judge I'm just a freshman, i guess?, it also take place during the movie, it's cool..., like the 2010 movie, magical healing, probably just read, science gone wrong, this is honestly just fluff, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:33:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27034249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Widowfics/pseuds/Widowfics
Summary: “My name’s Varian, by the way,” he adds suddenly, awkwardly extending his hand.She smiles brightly, oblivious to his awkwardness and shaking it how the characters in her favorite books often did. “I’m Rapunzel!”
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Series: Varian and Whumptober 2020 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940524
Comments: 13
Kudos: 111
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Into the Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So I've had this idea for a while...and I think it's really cute:) Plus the prompts were just too perfect!! Basically it takes place during the 2010 Tangled movie, so I got a chance to write pre-rescue Rapunzel (yay!) interacting with even smaller Varian (YAY!)
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!
> 
> PROMPTS I USED TODAY: magical healing, science gone wrong

Rapunzel smiles as she watches Eugene - sorry,  _ Flynn  _ \- buy a couple apples from a stand. The entire process is very fascinating, if she’s being honest, and she thinks she’s almost got it down. Flynn had given her a couple of her own coins, and she’s determined to surprise him with her very own purchase to share together. 

So while he’s not looking, she slips into the crowded streets, following her mental map to a bakery she saw a little ways down. She breathes in the variety of smells this city has to offer, enjoying every new sound and feeling that comes with it.

Who knew these last few days would be so eventful? Just last week, she had been looking forward to another quiet birthday with her mother. But then, one idea led to the next, and now she’s here, in the very not-scary capital of the kingdom, with very not-threatening companions at her side, surrounded by very not-evil people everywhere she goes. And now there are even newer ideas.

Like maybe,  _ maybe _ , Mother was wrong.

Or maybe it’s just better not to think about. She should focus on the moment, if anything. The last thing she wants is to get lost.  _ That  _ would not be good.

She turns another corner, allowing Pascal to climb into her hand as they approach the shop. But before she can enter it, a noise from a nearby alley catches her attention. She lifts her eyebrows in curiosity, turning away from the bakery door. In a few seconds she’s in front of the source of the noise. And the sight that meets her is a bit surprising.

At first, all she can see is a small cloud of smoke floating around. But soon it clears, revealing a young boy sitting on the ground, coughing into his elbow. He looks a little disoriented, long black bangs framing his freckled face and a bright blue hair streak bringing out his equally blue eyes. Next to him is what seems to have been one of the many lanterns Rapunzel has seen in today’s festival. The biggest difference is that there is only about half of it left, the rest apparently burned away, judging by the very charred edges.

Naturally caring and curious, she rushes to the boy’s side, who still has yet to notice her as he gradually gets over his coughing fit. Finally, he looks up, and their eyes meet.

He visibly startles at the young woman staring down at him. She purses her lips, confused at his sudden slight distress.

“What’s wrong?” she asks genuinely, tilting her head to the side a bit.

At first, he says nothing, though his mouth opens slightly. He looks her up and down, as if he doesn’t understand why she’s here or what she wants. But that can’t be, Rapunzel reasons. It’s obvious he needs help, so why  _ wouldn’t  _ someone be here? 

“S-Sorry,” he finally gets out, causing Rapunzel to forget her previous train of thought. She smiles. 

“Oh, it’s ok!” she replies giddily, happy that he’s finally talking to her. She hasn’t quite had a full, one on one conversation with anyone besides Mother or Flynn, and this boy seems so interesting she can hardly wait to ask him all about himself. But first, she has to make sure he’s alright.

“I, uh, I was experimenting with the lantern,” he explains, somewhat sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck, laughing nervously. “I guess - I guess I did something wrong, though. Or at least I assume that’s why it kinda...exploded…”

His nervous smile drops on his last sentence. He looks directly at her again, eyes now serious.

“Please don’t tell my Dad,” he adds.

She lifts an eyebrow in confusion. She knows what dads are, although she has yet to meet one. She admits she longs for one, at times; they seem so loving, and  _ firm _ . But she’ll never admit that to Mother, nor will she ask about where hers is. The way this boy speaks of his, though, is intriguing. It’s almost as if he...fears him?

“Why not?” she prods, her voice filled with a true want to know.

At her question, his nervous smile returns. Clicking his tongue, he chuckles.

“Let’s just say, it would not go well for me.”

Even with her limited people knowledge, Rapunzel can tell he wants to be done with the subject. So she drops it, moving on to something else.

“Ok,” she starts. Then, realizing he’s still on the ground, she sticks out her hand, both as a greeting and something to help him up. 

He looks at it for a brief second, before eventually accepting it. She pulls him up easily, surprised by his almost non-existent weight. Once he’s standing on two feet, she realizes that he’s still shorter than her, and by a couple inches, too. Now  _ that's  _ a first.

“Thank- ow!” he yelps as he tries to take a step forward. He hisses and immediately looks down at his leg, pulling up his apron to get a better look. Rapunzel follows his gaze, worried at his outburst.

“Ok, I’m fi-i…” he begins, but trails off. She understands the reason when she sees what he’s looking at. There’s a large rip in his pant leg, disclosing a large gash steadily filling with blood. It’s not very deep, from what she can tell, but he doesn’t seem to like it either way, pointedly looking the opposite direction.

“That’s gonna be...a problem,” he announces faintly. He gulps, looking at her again. “If my Dad sees that…”

“Let me guess, it won’t end well?” she finishes for him.

“Yeah.”

She twists her mouth, thinking of a way she can help. She looks at the gash again, and suddenly it comes to her.

“Oh! I know what to do!” she exclaims, before lowering her voice. “But we have to be careful, ok?”

She doesn’t give him a chance to respond, instead carefully leading him to the very end of the alley. She motions for him to sit back down, then follows suit.

“Um, can I ask…?” he whispers, obviously a little puzzled at her actions.

She gives him an apologetic look, at the same time pulling out a long, thick strand of hair from her braid. 

“It’s...probably better if you don’t. Don’t worry, this won’t take long.”

Thankfully he doesn’t protest, just watches with fascination as she gently wraps it around his leg, effectively covering up the wound. Then, she starts to sing quietly.

_ Flower, gleam and glow… _

Her hair gradually lights up, illuminating both of their faces in the dark corner. His eyes widen, darting from his leg, to her head, to the chameleon sitting on her shoulder, smiling smugly. If her eyes were open, she would see the calculations running through his mind, trying to figure out the possibilities of whatever is happening.

Soon, she’s done, and she unwraps the hair. He gasps at the sight of perfectly smooth skin showing through the rip in the fabric.

“How-how-” he starts, eyes somehow widening even more than before.

“Again, probably better if you don’t ask,” she cuts him off, his wonder reminding her of Eugene’s reaction just last night.

“There’s gotta be some science behind that,” he pushes, running the piece of her hair through his gloved fingers. “What is it, like a- a formula, or something?”

“No, just magic!” she answers cheerfully.

He looks up at her, still doubting.

“Yeah, ok…” 

He stands up and brushes the dirt off his pants; she does the same. 

“My name’s Varian, by the way,” he adds suddenly, awkwardly extending his hand.

She smiles brightly, oblivious to his awkwardness and shaking it how the characters in her favorite books often did. “I’m Rapunzel!”

His face lights up as if in recognition of the name.

“Oh, like the lost Princess?” 

She raises an eyebrow, confused. “The what?”

Now it’s his turn to be confused. “The lost...hold on. You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No, not really,” she admits. 

“Uh huh,” he starts. “Well,  _ Rapunzel _ , why did you decide to come all the way to Corona today? I’m here cause my dad takes me to the festival every year. It’s kinda like our day together! Or at least it’s supposed to be…”

Rapunzel notices his change in tone at the mention of his dad and the way he looks at the ground. 

“What happened?” she asks.

He looks back up at her, hesitating for a moment before grinning again (although a little smaller this time).

“Oh, nothing,” he brushes off with the wave of his hand. “He just, always ends up dealing with work and stuff. He’s my village’s leader, so I get it. And at least I have some time to myself to work on experiments with capital stuff.”

He laughs at the end, glancing over at his still burned lantern. She joins him.

“ _ I’m _ here with Fl- my friend,” she starts, still giggling but remembering Varian’s previous question. “He’s taking me to see the lanterns tonight for my birthday.”

“Oh, it’s your birthday today?” When she nods, he continues. “Happy birthday! How old are you?”

“Eighteen!”

Rapunzel thinks she sees a flash of...calculation? on his face, but the next second it’s gone. He shakes his head, his grin returning, and she can’t be sure.

“That’s so cool! I’m thirteen,” he adds, somewhat proudly as he points at himself. “I-”

Suddenly, he’s cut off by a new voice. This one is deep, farther away, and a bit worried.

“Varian? Son, where are you?”

Varian seems to recognize it immediately, and his smile drops.

“Oh, that’s my dad,” he quickly explains, grabbing the lantern off of the ground and giving his torn pants one last look.

“Oh, ok!” she replies, tucking her strand of hair back into her braid.

He begins to turn around, giving her one last look.

“Bye! Thank you for everything! And don’t worry Rapunzel, I promise I won’t tell anyone about…” he motions to her head, clearly at a loss for words. “...that.”

She barely gets out a goodbye before he’s gone, disappeared into the busy street and leaving her alone in the alley.

She lets out a breath, the smile from before still plastered on her face. Well,  _ that  _ was an experience.

“Oh, Pascal,” she starts, letting her friend, whom she had forgotten was on her shoulder, crawl into her open palms. “Who knew there were so many nice people! Mother said everyone is evil, but she’s been wrong  _ twice  _ already. I don’t think Varian would  _ ever  _ do anything to hurt me! I-”

“Blondie!”

Rapunzel looks up to see Eugene- dang it, Flynn! running towards her. He stops, catching his breath.

“Oh, there you are! I was looking all over for you. Please do  _ not  _ do that again,” he finally says, looking her up and down.

“Sorry!” she quickly apologizes, putting Pascal back on her shoulder and smiling sheepishly. “But Flynn! I met the nicest person. There was this boy and he told me his name was Varian and he needed help after he exploded his lantern and-”

“Yeah, sounds great Goldie,” Flynn cuts her off, already leading her out of the alley as she rambles. “But probably  _ not  _ the best idea to be hanging out with strangers, ok? And you said he had explosives? Yeah, probably-probably don’t do that again. I don’t...want anything to happen to you. As your guide.”

Rapunzel frowns at Flynn’s chastising, but decides not to push the subject. She’s sure if he had been there to meet Varian, he would’ve agreed with her.

Oh well. They only have the rest of the day to finish exploring, and she wants to see as much as she can before...well, she just wants to see as much as she can. And maybe one day, she’ll meet Varian again. That would be nice.

He seemed like a good friend.

**Author's Note:**

> thx for reading!


End file.
